Game having rotatably mounted resilient player representations



GAME HAVING RQTATABLY MOUNTED RESILIENT PLAYER REPRESENTATIONS Filed May '12, 19s? Feb. 17, 1970 w. LEDEZZMA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M0444 ,lwzzm/A I N VEN TOR.

BY 2* g Feb. 17, 1970 w. LEDE'ZZMA 3,

GAME HAVING ROTA'IABLY MOUNTED RESI'LIENT PLAYER REPRESENTATIONS Filed May 12, 19s? 2 Shets-Sheet 2 sob 30a. 66 ,1 28b 26a 66 Q I 50 MZ/AM Zf/JKZZMA' /62 INVENTOR. k Q I 7aa BY United States Patent Office 3,495,827 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 US. Cl. 273-85 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A playing field or area is divided into halves, each provided with a plurality of apertures, each of which apertures rotatably receives a pin secured to a representation of a man having one foot extended in kicking position. Goals in the form of nets are located at opposite ends of the field. A ball striking a man will bounce away, because the men are made of resilient material, and because the frictional fit between the pin and aperture is such that the men will not inadvertently rotate. The object of the game is for a player to flick the ball into the net guarded by the opposing players men by deliberately rotating a man and causing the extended foot to strike the ball. A specially shaped goalie guards each net.

This invention relates to a game device and, more particularly, to such a device modeled after the game of soccer.

The game device of the present invention comprises a playing field painted or otherwise defined on a smooth, flat surface of a slab of plastic or the like. The playing field or area is approximately ten inches wide and fifteen inches long, thus approximating the relative dimensions of a soccer field. The field is divided in half by a line drawn across it, and each half is provided with a goal in the form of a net at its outer end.

The two halves of the field are mirror images of each other, and each half is provided with a plurality of apertures. Each of the apertures rotatably receives a pin secured to a representation of a man having one foot extended in kicking position. Two additional apertures are provided directly in front of each net to receive a pin secured to a goal tender or goalie having extended arms.

The object of the game is for a player to flick a ball past the opposing players men and into the net that they are guarding. The ball is made of a hard material and the men are made of a resilient material so that when the ball contacts a man the ball will bounce away from the man. The ball is retained on the playing field by an elastic band stretched between posts around the periphery of the field.

The invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the playing field of the game showing in detail the locations of the various pin-receiving apertures;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the device showing the men in position;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed side view of one of the men shown kicking a ball;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 3, but showing a goalie receiving the ball; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 showing one of the posts that support a retaining band located around the playing field.

As shown in FIGURE 1, a playing field or area is divided into halves 10a and 10b by a center line 12 drawn thereacross. Each of the halves 10a and 10b is provided with a plurality of circular apertures, those apertures in the half 10a being denoted by numerals 14a, 16a, 36a and the apertures in the half 10b being denoted by similar numerals with the suffix b. The halves 10a and 10b are mirror images of each other formed about the center line 12.

The apertures 14a30a and, except for the apertures 20a, 22a and 20b, 22b, 14b-30b lie on the intersections of various imaginary straight lines, a number of which straight lines intersect at the midpoint 12m of the center line 12. The apertures 32a-36a and 32b-36b lie on the intersections of various ones of the aforesaid imaginary straight lines and a circle 38 drawn about the point 12m. In order to define accurately the positions of the straight lines, the three external sides of the halves 10a and 10b are respectively designated 10a1, 10a2, 10a3 and 10b1, 10b2, 10b3. Again, the lines in the two halves are mirror images of each other and are so designated.

Using the side 10a as exemplary, it is seen that imaginary lines 40a, 42a, 44a, 46a, and 48a are respectively drawn from the midpoint of the side 10a2 to the .midpoint of the side 10a1, to the juncture of the side 10ml and the center line 12, to the point 12m, to the juncture of the side IMF: and the center line 12, and to the midpoint of the side 10a3. Lines 5011 and 52a are drawn from the juncture of the sides 10:11 and 10a2 to the point 12m, and to the juncture of the side 10a3 and the center line 12 respectively. Similarly, lines 54a and 56a are respectively drawn from the juncture of the sides 10:12 and 1003 to the juncture of the side 10a1 and the center line 12, and to the center line midpoint 12m. Two additional lines 58a and 60a are drawn from the point 12m to the midpoints of the sides 10:11 and 10:13, respectively. Imaginary lines are similarly drawn on the half 12b and are designated by the same reference numerals as those used with reference to the side 10a but with the suffix b.

The following table sets forth the locations of the apertures 14 through 36 and is applicable to both halves 10a and 10b:

Aperture: Location 14 Intersection of lines 40 and 50. 16 Intersection of lines 42 and 58. 18 Intersection of lines 50 and 54. 20 and 22 On line 44 near outer end. 24 Intersection of lines 52 and 54. 26 Intersection of lines 52 and 56. 28 Intersection of lines 48 and 56. 30 Intersection of lines 46 and '60. 32 Intersection of circle 38 and line 58. 34 Intersection of circle 38 and line 44. 36 Intersection of circle 38 and line 60.

The apertures 20 and 22 define alternate positions for the goalie located in front of his goal (not shown in FIGURE 1).

As shown in FIGURES 2 through 5, the game device of the invention comprises a smooth, flat slab 62 of plastic or wood having the playing field or area defined by a line 64. Each of the circular apertures 14-36 (except for the apertures 20 and 22) rotatably receives a pin 66a made integral with or secured to one foot 66b of a representation 66 of a man, the representation being referred to herein asa man. The man 66 has its other foot 660 extended in a kicking position to meet a ball 68 directed toward it, as shown in FIGURE 3. The ball 68 may be a conventional glass marble or may be made of other hard material. The men 66 are made of a resilient material such as a plastic, so that when the ball 68 strikes a man it bounces away. This is particularly true if the ball strikes the kicking foot 660 of the man. The pin 66a is made of a plastic material and is rotatable in its aperture in the board 62. The pins 66a are friction-fitted into the apertures so that the men must be rotated or repositioned 3 by hand, and will not be rotated by the ball striking any portion of the man including the extended foot 66c.

As previously noted the apertures 20 and 22 define alternate positions for goalies 70 located in front of and adjacent their respective goals 72. The goal or goal net located in the half 10a of the field is designated 72a; similarly, the goal or net located on the other half 10b of the field is designated 7211. Each of the goalies 70 has secured to or made integral with its feet a pin 70a, which rotatably fits in one of the circular apertures 20 or 22. Each goalie 70 is made of a resilient material like the men 66, and is provided with horizontally outstretched arms 70]).

Again, the plastic pin 70a is friction-fitted into the aper-.

tures 20 and 22, so that the goalie will not be rotated by the ball 68 striking one of the arms 70b. Each goalie may, however, be rotated by hand.

The field-defining line 64 is broken at opposite ends of the playing field, as at 64a and 64b, and the nets 72a and 72b are respectively supported by posts 74a and 74b located at the break-points of the line 64. Rectangular goalie areas in the two halves of the playing field are defined by lines 76a and 76!).

In order to retain the ball 68 within the playing field, a plurality of posts 78 are provided about the periphery of the line '64 and an elastic band 80 is stretched between and secured to the posts. The board 10 is provided with a plurality of apertures 82 into which reduced portions 78a of the posts 78 fit (FIGURE The band 80 .may be wrapped around each of the posts 78, as shown in FIGURE 5, except for the posts adjacent the nets 72 to which the band may be glued or otherwise secured. A hole may be provided in the top of each post 78 into which a flag 82 may be fitted.

Although various rules for playing the game may be devised, generally all ten men and the goalie located in one half of the playing field are on the same team. The game may be initiated by placing the ball 68 in the center of the playing field, as shown in FIGURE 2. The ball is then flicked with a finger of a first player toward the goal of a second player. The kicking feet of the second mans players are aligned in a direction to block the path of the ball toward the second players goal net. When the ball stops, the second player can adjust the positions of his men and flick the ball with his finger toward the first players goal net. In the meantime, the positions of the first players mean can be adjusted. This alternate flicking of the marble and rotation of the men by each player continues until one or the other player is able to get the ball into the opposing players goal net.

It is pointed out that a considerable amount of skill is involved in adjusting the positions of a players men. For example, if the men supported inthe apertures 16a and 18a (FIGURE 2) are adjusted so that their kicking feet extend toward each other to block the path of the ball therebetween, the openings between the men, the apertures 18a and 32a. and in 18a and 24 are increased. Therefore, when adjusting his men, a player must decide what is the most likely path for the opposing player to follow in attempting to reach his goal and try to block that path while not opening up another path.

Although an embodiment of a game device has been shown and described, it is apparent that many changes and modifications may be made thereto by one skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A gamev device comprising:

a playing ball;

a playing surface having a plurality of circular apertures;

resilient means for retaining said playing ball within the confines of said playing surface;

two goals located one at each end of said playing surface; and

a plurality of representations of men made of a resilient material and each having a pin, said pin of each representation being of a cross sectional size to frictionally rotatably engage one of said apertures in a snug manner to prevent inadvertent rotation of said representation, each of said representations being capable of being manually rotated upon its respective pin within its respective aperture to be contactable with said playing ball, the engagement between each pin and aperture being such that upon rotation of a representation no lineal movement results between said playing surface and said representation, a first portion of said representations having one foot extended to the kicking position after contact with the ball has been achieved, a second portion of said representations having substantially horizontally outstretched arms, the spacing of said arms from said playing surface being less than the diameter of said playing ball.

2. The game device defined by claim 1, further including a center line having a midpoint and dividing said playing surface into a first half having first, second and third sides and a second half having fourth, fifth and sixth sides, said two halves being mirror images of each other, said first and fourth sides corresponding to each other and said third and sixth sides corresponding to each other.

3. The game device defined by claim 2, wherein a number of said apertures lie on a circle drawn about said midpoint as its center.

4. The game device defined by claim 3, wherein the remainder of said apertures lie on first imaginary straight lines drawn between said midpoint of said center line and corners of said halves and between said midpoint of said center line and midpoints of said sides.

5. The game device defined by claim 4, further includ ing second imaginary straight lines drawn between midpoints of said first 'and second sides, second and third sides, fourth and fifth sides, and fifth and sixth sides, and a number of said remainder of said apertures lie at intersections of said first and second imaginary straight lines.

6. The game device defined by claim 5, wherein in each said half three of said apertures lie on intersections of said circle and three of said first imaginary straight lines, seven of said apertures lie on intersections of said first and second imaginary straight lines, and two of said apertures lie on one of said first imaginary straight lines, which is normal to said center line, adjacent one of said goals.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,086,778 4/1963 Maurer 273 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,020,187 1952 France.

20,074 1891 Great Britain. 93,894 1895 Great Britain. 418,969 1947 Italy. 556,801 1957 Italy. 561,580 1923 France. 719,913 1931 France. 505,756 1954 Italy.

RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner 

